10 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Montreal

Crescent Street is a lively strip in Downtown Montreal lined with boutique shops, art galleries, and a vibrant mix of pubs, bars, clubs, and cafes. Rue Crescent makes for an enjoyable stroll, with its Victorian architecture to admire while searching for a cosy pub or restaurant patio to stop at for an evening drink.  

The Sir Winston Churchill Pub complex is a long-running favourite on Crescent Street, with an English pub, restaurant and nightclub spread over its 3 floors. Crescent Street is home to several events held throughout the year, especially in the summer and during the Canadian Grand Prix in June. Those are when the streets come alive with performers and festivities.

The Notre-Dame Basilica is a Montreal landmark and majestic place of worship for nearly 2 centuries. Featuring a Gothic Revival architecture, the basilica’s splendour and historical significance to the city make it one of the city’s most-visited sites.

Those who save their visit for a Friday or Saturday evening are treated to its famous the Aura light show. It's a multimedia display with orchestral music, with colourful lights that add a magical glow. Entry tickets to the Aura light show may be purchased in advance online. Discounted family rates are available, while children below 5 years old can enjoy this performance for free. 

Dollar Cinema is one of Montreal’s best places to enjoy a full cinematic experience at a budget price. It's in Decarie Square shopping mall, in a residential neighbourhood 10 km west of Downtown Montreal. The owners of this independent movie house have vowed to make it all affordable. 

Moviegoers visiting Dollar Cinema get enjoy plush seating, full-sized screens and sound quality they’d expect in a regular cinema. It offers cut-rate admission fees and snacks that, when all added up, cost little more than a few loonies. The cinema has 2 screens showing 2nd-run films, many of which are of the family-friendly variety.

Quartier Latin is a neighbourhood that encompasses the University of Quebec, giving it a youthful vibe. It has a great choice of bars, cafes, theatres, and boutique shops. Visit in the evening, and you’ll find French-language entertainment at the Théâtre Saint-Denis and Cinéma du Quartier Latin.

A wander along the Latin Quarter’s Rue St-Denis will take you not only to the Théâtre Saint-Denis, but also to a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants, and nightlife spots. During summer, visit Place Émilie-Gamelin, a square that hosts several festivals, concerts and art exhibitions.  

Plateau Mont-Royal is a diverse neighbourhood with an artsy and chic vibe. Adding some character are several old-school spots like bagel shops and Greek restaurants. The hipster ambience shifts into high gear once you hit the Mile End, a district teeming with coffee shops, indie bookstores, vintage clothing boutiques, and stylish bars.  

Saint-Laurent Boulevard, which runs through Plateau Mont-Royal, is a busy street full of thrift shops and nightlife spots to explore. Music lovers could stop by Casa del Popolo, which puts on live shows by indie performers most nights. 

La Voûte is a nightclub in Old Montreal that offers a sophisticated evening out with DJ music, cocktails and cabarets. Its setting oozes mystery and elegance, occupying a former Royal Bank vault. You can find it inside Montreal’s first skyscraper, which is over a century old. 

La Voûte attracts a young crowd who enjoys drinking and dancing into the wee hours. It has Japanese food menu to satisfy any late-night cravings. Be sure to check the club's schedule in advance. It's known for putting on some fabulous parties and special events, including the annual Mardi Gras and Grand Prix celebrations.

The Rialto Theatre has been a presence in Montreal's nightlife scene for about a century. It started as a cinema and then transformed into a centre for the performing arts after an extensive renovation by new owners in the 2010s. Thanks to its elegant Beaux-Arts architecture, it has been listed as a National Historic Site of Canada since 1993.

The Rialto Theatre hosts a range of performances and dinner shows featuring local and international artists. These include concerts by singer-songwriters, along with plays, operas, and musical comedies. You can find it in the trendy Mile End neighbourhood of Montreal. 

MTELUS Montreal is a top spot for live concerts, having hosted the likes of Coldplay, Morrissey, Prince, Radiohead, and local-favourite Jean Leloup over the years. Found on St. Catherine Street in the heart of Quartier des Spectacles, the venue has expanded and evolved along with the city through the years.

Since it first opened as a skating rink back in 1884, the MTELUS building has housed a theatre, a cinema, and a discotheque. It finally became a 2,300-person-capacity concert venue after extensive renovations. For better views of the stage, try to book a seat on the balcony. 

The Village is a vibrant neighbourhood just north of Montreal’s Quartier Lati. The LGBTQ-friendly area pulsates with life during the summer months of June through September. This is when the main thoroughfare of St. Catherine Street is closed to traffic and when crowds come out to shop and stroll during the day. 

The Village also offers a fun mix of cafes, bars, clubs, and cabaret shows. It's a great area to discover the city’s artsy side, with several events held throughout the year. The Mtl en Arts festival transforms its streets into an open-air gallery that showcases works by notable local artists. 

Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill is well-known among jazz fans as the place to go in Montreal for live music by local and international jazz bands. Found in Downtown Montreal, the spot offers a cosy and intimate setting to dine, drink and listen to some great jazz, boogie-woogie and blues.

Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill has been included as among the world's top 150 jazz clubs by influential music magazines. It's one of the few off-site venues that are part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Reservations are recommended to ensure you get a table, as this small venue fills up fast.